The Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry is a committee of the United States Senate empowered with legislative oversight of all matters relating to the nation's agriculture industry, farming programs, forestry and logging, and legislation relating to nutrition, home economics, and rural development.[1]
The current chair is Democrat Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, and the ranking member is Republican John Boozman of Arkansas.
Founded in 1825 the committee was formed at the request of Senator William Findlay from Pennsylvania. Arguing that agriculture was as important to national progress as commerce and manufacturing, Findlay succeeded in persuading the full Senate to divide the Committee on Commerce and Manufactures into two separate committees. The Committee on Agriculture was formed by resolution on December 9, 1825.[2]
During the first four decades of the existence of this committee, the need for it was repeatedly called into question. At that time in America, nearly two-thirds of the population was directly engaged in agriculture. As such, issues related to agriculture overlapped with areas covered by other committees and were often referred to those committees instead of the Agriculture Committee.[3]
Following a debate over the necessity of various committees to have need of the services of a dedicated clerk, a Special Committee was formed to investigate ways to "reduce the number and increase the efficiency of the committees."[4] On February 17, 1857, the Special Committee submitted a plan of reorganization for the committees that did not include the Agriculture Committee. During a special session of the Senate, on March 5, 1857, the Senate approved the Special Committees recommendations and the Committee on Agriculture was dissolved.[5]
In 1862, the country was embroiled in the Civil War, a large influx of immigrants was occurring and the nation was moving towards industrialization. That year, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Organic Act recreating the Department of Agriculture.[6]
It became the Committee on Agriculture and Forestry in 1884, a reflection of the growing importance of forests to the country's needs.[7] It was renamed again to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry in 1977. Nutrition was added to the name after the Food and Agriculture Act of 1977 directed the Department of Agriculture to "conduct more human nutrition research, establish a national nutrition education program and develop a system to monitor America's nutritional status".[8]
In accordance of Rule XXV of the United States Senate, all proposed legislation, messages, petitions, memorials, and other matters relating to the following subjects are referred to the Agriculture Committee:
The Agriculture Committee is also charged "to study and review, on a comprehensive basis, matters relating to food, nutrition, and hunger, both in the United States and in foreign countries, and rural affairs, and report thereon from time to time."[9]
See main article: 118th United States Congress.
| Subcommittees[12] | Chair | Ranking members | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commodities, Risk Management and Trade | Tina Smith (D-MN) | Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS) | |
| Conservation, Climate, Forestry, and Natural Resources | Michael Bennet (D-CO) | Roger Marshall (R-KS) | |
| Livestock, Dairy, Poultry, Local Food Systems, and Food Safety and Security | Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) | John Hoeven (R-ND) | |
| Food and Nutrition, Specialty Crops, Organics, and Research | John Fetterman (D-PA) | Mike Braun (R-IN) | |
| Rural Development and Energy | Peter Welch (D-VT) | Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) |
The committee, under its various names, has been chaired by the following senators:[13]
| Chair | Party | State | Years | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Findlay | Jacksonian | Pennsylvania | 1825-1826 | ||
| Calvin Willey | Adams | Connecticut | 1826-1827 | ||
| John Branch | Jacksonian | North Carolina | 1827-1828 | ||
| Ephraim Bateman | Adams | New Jersey | 1828-1829 | ||
| Charles D. Bouligny | Adams | Louisiana | 1829 | ||
| William Marks | Anti-Jackson | Pennsylvania | 1829–1831 | ||
| Horatio Seymour | Anti-Jackson | Vermont | 1831–1833 | ||
| Bedford Brown | Jacksonian | North Carolina | 1833–1836 | ||
| John Page | Jacksonian | New Hampshire | 1836–1837 | ||
| Perry Smith | Democratic | Connecticut | 1837–1839 | ||
| Alexander Mouton | Democratic | Louisiana | 1839–1841 | ||
| Lewis F. Linn | Democratic | Missouri | 1841–1843 | ||
| William Upham | Whig | Vermont | 1843–1845 | ||
| Daniel Sturgeon | Democratic | Pennsylvania | 1845–1851 | ||
| Presley Spruance[14] | Whig | Delaware | 1851 | ||
| Pierre Soule | Democratic | Louisiana | 1851–1853 | ||
| Philip Allen | Democratic | Rhode Island | 1853–1857 |
| Chair | Party | State | Years | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Sherman | Republican | Ohio | 1863–1864 | ||
| James H. Lane | Republican | Kansas | 1864-1865 | ||
| John Sherman | Republican | Ohio | 1865-1867 | ||
| Simon Cameron | Republican | Pennsylvania | 1867–1871 | ||
| Oliver Morton | Republican | Indiana | 1871–1872 | ||
| Frederick T. Frelinghuysen | Republican | New Jersey | 1872–1877 | ||
| Algernon S. Paddock | Republican | Nebraska | 1877–1879 | ||
| John Johnston | Democratic | Virginia | 1879–1881 | ||
| William Mahone | Readjuster/Republican | Virginia | 1881-1883 | ||
| Warner Miller | Republican | New York | 1883-1884 |
| Chair | Party | State | Years | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warner Miller | Republican | New York | 1884–1887 | ||
| Thomas Palmer | Republican | Michigan | 1887–1889 | ||
| Algernon S. Paddock | Republican | Nebraska | 1889–1893 | ||
| James Z. George | Democratic | Mississippi | 1893–1895 | ||
| Redfield Proctor | Republican | Vermont | 1895–1908 | ||
| Henry C. Hansbrough | Republican | North Dakota | 1908–1909 | ||
| Jonathan P. Dolliver | Republican | Iowa | 1909–1910 | ||
| Henry E. Burnham | Republican | New Hampshire | 1911–1913 | ||
| Thomas P. Gore | Democratic | Oklahoma | 1913–1919 | ||
| Asle J. Gronna | Republican | North Dakota | 1919–1921 | ||
| George W. Norris | Republican | Nebraska | 1921–1926 | ||
| Charles McNary | Republican | Oregon | 1926–1933 | ||
| Ellison D. Smith | Democratic | South Carolina | 1933–1944 | ||
| Elmer Thomas | Democratic | Oklahoma | 1944–1947 | ||
| Arthur Capper | Republican | Kansas | 1947–1949 | ||
| Elmer Thomas | Democratic | Oklahoma | 1949–1951 | ||
| Allen J. Ellender | Democratic | Louisiana | 1951–1953 | ||
| George D. Aiken | Republican | Vermont | 1953–1955 | ||
| Allen J. Ellender | Democratic | Louisiana | 1955–1971 | ||
| Herman E. Talmadge | Democratic | Georgia | 1971–1977 |
| Chair | Party | State | Years | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Herman E. Talmadge | Democratic | Georgia | 1977–1981 | ||
| Jesse Helms | Republican | North Carolina | 1981–1987 | ||
| Patrick Leahy | Democratic | Vermont | 1987–1995 | ||
| Richard G. Lugar | Republican | Indiana | 1995–2001 | ||
| Thomas Harkin | Democratic | Iowa | 2001[15] | ||
| Richard G. Lugar | Republican | Indiana | 2001 | ||
| Thomas Harkin | Democratic | Iowa | 2001–2003[16] | ||
| Thad Cochran | Republican | Mississippi | 2003–2005 | ||
| Saxby Chambliss | Republican | Georgia | 2005–2007 | ||
| Tom Harkin | Democratic | Iowa | 2007–2009 | ||
| Blanche Lincoln | Democratic | Arkansas | 2009–2011 | ||
| Debbie Stabenow | Democratic | Michigan | 2011–2015 | ||
| Pat Roberts | Republican | Kansas | 2015–2021 | ||
| Debbie Stabenow | Democratic | Michigan | 2021–present |
See main article: 117th United States Congress.
| Subcommittees[17] | Chair | Ranking members | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commodities, Markets and Trade | Raphael Warnock (D-GA) | John Hoeven (R-ND) | |
| Conservation, Forestry and Natural Resources | Michael Bennet (D-CO) | Roger Marshall (R-KS) | |
| Livestock, Dairy, Poultry, Local Food Systems, and Food Safety and Security | Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) | Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS) | |
| Food and Nutrition, Specialty Crops, Organics, and Research | Cory Booker (D-NJ) | Mike Braun (R-IN) | |
| Rural Development and Energy | Tina Smith (D-MN) | Joni Ernst (R-IA) |
See main article: 116th United States Congress.
| Subcommittees[18] | Chair | Ranking members | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commodities, Markets and Trade | John Boozman (R-AR) | Sherrod Brown (D-OH) | |
| Conservation, Forestry and Natural Resources | Mike Braun (R-IN) | Michael Bennet (D-CO) | |
| Livestock, Marketing and Agriculture Security | Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS) | Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) | |
| Nutrition, Agricultural Research and Specialty Crops | Deb Fischer (R-NE) | Bob Casey Jr. (D-PA) | |
| Rural Development and Energy | Joni Ernst (R-IA) | Tina Smith (D-MN) |
Source [19]
| Subcommittees | Chair | Ranking members | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commodities, Markets and Trade | John Boozman (R-AR) | Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) | |
| Conservation, Forestry and Natural Resources | Steve Daines (R-MT) | Michael Bennet (D-CO) | |
| Livestock, Marketing and Agriculture Security | David Perdue (R-GA) | Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) | |
| Nutrition, Agricultural Research and Specialty Crops | Luther Strange (R-AL) | Bob Casey Jr. (D-PA) | |
| Rural Development and Energy | Joni Ernst (R-IA) | Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) |
| Subcommittees | Chair | Ranking members | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commodities, Markets and Trade | John Boozman (R-AR) | Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) | |
| Conservation, Forestry and Natural Resources | David Perdue (R-GA) | Michael Bennet (D-CO) | |
| Livestock, Marketing and Agriculture Security | Ben Sasse (R-NE) | Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) | |
| Nutrition, Agricultural Research and Specialty Crops | John Hoeven (R-ND) | Bob Casey Jr. (D-PA) | |
| Rural Development and Energy | Joni Ernst (R-IA) | Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) |
| Subcommittees | Chair | Ranking members | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commodities, Markets and Trade | Joe Donnelly (D-IN) | Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) | |
| Conservation, Forestry and Natural Resources | Michael Bennet (D-CO) | John Boozman (R-AR) | |
| Livestock, Marketing and Agriculture Security | Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) | Pat Roberts (R-KS) | |
| Nutrition, Agricultural Research and Specialty Crops | Bob Casey Jr. (D-PA) | John Hoeven (R-ND) | |
| Rural Development and Energy | Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) | Mike Johanns (R-NE) |